Wheeled harrow.



S. HICKMAN.

WHEELED EARROW.

APPLICATION FILED sBPT.s,1911.

atented 32m. 80, M12.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

- S. HIGKMAN. WHBBLED HARROW.

APPLIGATION FILED Smm-6. 1911.

Patented Jau. 30, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

unirsi) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL HICKMAN, or srmNGHELnoHlo.

wnnnnnn naamw.

Application filedseptember 6, 1911.

This invention is an improvement in wheeled harrows, or ma hines forpreparing ground for seeding.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a gyratory harrowadapted to pulverize the ground thoroughly as'it is drawn ther-cover;the gyratory motion'being imparted to the barrow simultaneously with.,its linearmovement by suitable gearing actuated by the main carryingwheels of the machine.

. A. further object of the inventio'n is to provide means in-advance ofthe barrow 'for I cutting and breaking large clods or Sods preparatoryto the pulverizing action of the barrow thereon.

The invention consists in-novel features and combinations of partsmoreparticularly set forth in the claims, -and the invention v will beclearly'understood fromthe following explanation of the machineillustrated in the accompanying drawings forming parto thisspecification, and which will enable anyone skilled in the art to designand construct machines embodying and operating upon theprinciple of theinvention.

In said drawings-Figure l is a perspecv tive View of a complete machineembodying the several features of the invention, but not drawn to ascale. Fig. 2 is a' top plan view, thereo. Fig 3 is "a verticallongitudinal' section thereof'shou 'n ng the -harrow lowered in fulllines and raised indotted lines', also indicating the independentself-adjusting capabiiity of the cutting blades. Fig. 4 is an enlargedperspective view of parts of the gyratory frame and'connectio'ns. .Figs5,\ 6 and 7 are details. f-

The machine embodies, a, main carrying rame of anyv suitableconstruction, supported on Yan axle Q- carried. by-wheels 2".

The main frame l'is made of' channel iron of suitable-size, with' crossties 1a and l", uprights 1, and inclined brace bars -1,

Speccation of Letters Patent. i

Patented aan', 30,1912. Serial No.647,992.

which are preferably made ci angie iron; and the tongue braces 1 are,preferably made lof iiat iron with a twist to add to thelrstiiness'andprevent bending. "This frame may be provided. with 'any suitable meansfor.-

attachment of the draft -animals, a tongue 1t being .indicated inthedrawings.

Pivotally attached to the front bar ot the frame is a series of links c,the lower ends l of which are pivotally, connected to the up# perforward ends ofcutting blades A which are set edgewise and arepreferably rounded atl their forward lower' corners and are sharpened ontheir front and bottom edges. 10 the-.rear-or heel' portion of eachblade A is pivotally connected a rod a. which rods extend upwardlythrough eyes a? in the ends of crank arms a3 'connected to a rock-shaftcjournaled in brackets a5 attached to the sides l of the v main rame.

Springs a are strung on rodea. below crank arms (i.3 and normally tendtov depress .the bhfies: but allow such blades to indi-- swingupviduaily and independently wardly if they meet any4 unyieldingobstruction. By rocking shaft a1 the whole' series of blades A can besimultaneously raised Ior lowered.

TheV shaft a* may be rocked by any suitable means; as shown a crank arma" thereonl is connected by a link a8 to a lever C pivoted on a bar 1 ofthe main frame and having Aa hand operted catch c adapted to lock thelever to a segement'c attached to said-bar,J as shown.

Attached to the rear upper edge of each blade A are rearwardly extendingbrackets a9 to'the rear ends of which are fastened depending harrowfingers am which are the gyratory harrow. This much of the ma# chinewould be very eicient inlv preparing newly plowed groundfor seeding andmight be used in some cases to give a tir t'dressing to theground,particularly vif the soil should be very damp or wet, before th'ebarrow isusedl thereon. ,But when the ground is in proper condition thegyrating harroiuimmediately comes into' operation in rv gbf the blades.

adapted to b reak up the portions ov the clods sliced` by the blades andthus assist in preparing the ground for` pulverization by The clodcutters A can be varied in numbier in accordance with'the size ofmachine,-

of the frame, thearrangement being. such.-

that the shafts l with the harrowg can be swung upward and rearward awayfrom' the ground or lowered into operative conl Atact therewith. In itslowermost position the-harrovvis in-substantially the same horizontalplane as the series'of blades Af."

lhe crank shafts ,K are 'to be rotated l simultaneously so 'as to,impart agyratory motion to the harrowi as shown the crank shafts K, areprovided :with bevel-gears lc on theirupper ends, meshing with bevelpinions g2 oni-shaft g, andshaft g may be driven by means of' sprocketgears J and sprocket chains from sprocketgears H loosely mounted on axle2 beside the wheels 2 which may 'be locked to. the lhubs of the maincarrying wheels 2 by any 'suitable clutch device. In this way gyratorymotion j fon the lever C holding it in place, and the may be imparted tothe barrow frameB.

'-lhe cranksL L operating the frame B are held in place by set-screws atany de# sired depth or height on the crank shaftsA K, K, and are held inthe frame B by a y nut l2 beneath, turning in a snug boxing and steadiedby braces N, N; the frame B being stayed in shape by cross braces O, P.The brackets k are loosely hung von shaft 40 g; the bearings k2 for thevertical crank shafts K are attached to a bar ks by which they are heldin proper alinement. When the harrow is in its lowermost position ,thisbar is engagedxyoy a hook Iw on lthe end of a lever W lwhich isAfulcrumed on a sleeve V on the axle, and the forward arm far; andthis4lever connected by a link Y to a ,foot vtreadle X ad'acent the seat S.4The Abar le isconnecte about centrally to"onl V50.a1in d of the lever Dthat is 4loosely hung' 'on the shaft G, and the other arm of thef leverD extends within easy reachpf thej driver and can be depressed by handso to'swing the brackets Ic, shaft K, and har- 5l5 row frame B,rearwardly and upwardly to the position indicated in dotted lines inFig. 3, 'and 4they 4may be ,held in this position by engaginglever Dunder. catch P attached to the frame. y l 4 As'sh'own each` wheel 2,a ismounted. to turn loosely upongafsleeve'T whiehin turn is mounted upontheend of the axle 2. The hub of ech wheel 2a is provided with notcheslw on its innerend, and the hub of the adiacent sprocket gear H isprovided with longitudinal slots la, in which are slidably engaged keAs' o,attached to a ring O which' is provide A llar R .which may be hungon. the axle, as shown, and by which the ring .can be slidlongitudinally on the' axle to move the eys o :into orout of engagementwith the notches w' in the hubofthe adjacent Wheel'2.

'When the keys are engaged with the notches .the sprocket gear -l1l arecaused tourotate with the wheels 2; and when the keys are disengagedfrom the notches the gears. H can remain'l idle while the wheels `2*rotate. '.lhe clutch rings o"l may be simultaneously operated by meansof links 'O' pivotally connected to a lever O2 pivoted 'n .the frameadjacent the drivers seat. By means of thislever O2 the gyratory harrowmay be thrown into and out of operation, as may be lrequiredin operatingthe ing in the field. Any suitable clutch devices may be used for thispurpose. '.vThe barrow may be raised out of the way for transport, andheld at diderent positions, by means .of a lever D loosely hungA onshaft g.

The dotted lines indicate the positions -of/the cutting blades A andgyrator B, when raised and vnot operating; the dog e -hook P holding thelever D in place when it is forced down to raise the gyrator.

Operation: As the machine is drawn :across the field or plowed groundthe blades further break the same in advance of the harrow, which, owingto its gyratory 1notion and numerous teeth, thoroughly pulverizes y thebroken clods as .the machine. passes thereover, and reduces the soil tothe best condition for planting; and owingr to the gyratory motion ofthe barrow and its teeth the ground is thoroughly pulvcrized and notmerely ridged or furron'ed ns itis by an ordinary drag-barrow. 'lhemachine is valso useful in pre aring corn-lield ground for wheat, as thehilados A will divide the stalks and trash in advance of the barrow.If.; any blade A strikes 'a rock or unyielding obstacle it can `eld,owing to its spring mounting, and ride over such obstacle withoutaffecting the others. In case'of a large obstacle in the way, or duringtransportation and turning ,of the machine, the series of blades can beswung up out of the way; and the barrow can llkewise be swung up out ofthe wayfor transportation, or to pass obstacles, whenever desired.v

The invention-is not restricted to the articular constructionof partsillustrated) in -th'e drawings, particularlyas relates to the means forvertidally adjusting the `harrow and for imparting aratory movementsthereto; `and the clu for engaging the with a groove engaged by machineor stopping its' action while turn- -A sever the large clodsand the'uigers a iffnd the hai-row, and means for rotating said shaftg tolmpart a' gyratory movement to .theharrom 2. In mbination, a wheeledframe, vertically disposed crank shafts thereon, a har- 1'5 row` h'tingvon the cranks of said shafts, means for rtating said shafts to 'impart agyratol'-fnovement to the barrow, and Qmfeans orraisingvand lowering thebarrow. 2"..1-8. Ingaj.. arrow, the combination of a shafts mounted onsaid frame, gearing actuated from thelcarrying wheels for rotating saidcrank shafts, a harrow-frame connected I cmnko said shafts, wherebygyra- 25 toyygmotiodis im`arted to said harrowi '.fgnxejandmeansorraising and lowering v'gelisiriiw-fraine.

'ii-f4." a hal-row, the 'combination ofl a wheeled frame, swingingcrank. shafts -gyi'at-ory harrow mounted in said frame, gearing actuatedso from the carrying wheels for rotating said crank shafts, a harrow.'frame connected to the cranks on said shafts whereby gyratory motion isimparted to saidv barrow-frame and means for swinging the crank-shafts35 and harrowLframe torn-isc and lower the latter. l

' 5. In a harrowpthe combination of a main frame,adjustable swinging'Brackets mounted thereon, and vertica1ly"disposod o shafts journaled insaid brackets; gearing lbetween the said shafts and the supportingwheels, cranks on said shafts, a harrowframe suspended on said cranksand gvratcd thereby and means for swinging said brack- 45- cts to raiseand lower the barrow-frame. 6. In combination a wheeled frame, and aconnected therewith;

means for ositively gyrating t'lie liariow, and means or raising andloweringit. 50

In testimony that I 'claim the foregoing as my'own, 1 affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL HICKMAN. 'Witnessest i,

R. S. ,MCINTIRE J UmUs Wm'riNo.

